Method of forming roller bearing cups



Feb. 27, 1940. A. .1. SCHREIBER 2,191,916

IETHOD 0F FORHING ROLLER BEARING CUPS Feb. 27. 1940- A. J. SCHREIBER 2,191,916

METHOD QF FORMING ROLLER BEARING CUPS Filed Feb. 28, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 V//lllllllllllm-m MINIMUM-WM W/////////A 112 228 F13-gaa.

jj. f; 30, so J8 Gttornegs Feb. 27, 1940. A, sai-"251353` 2,191,916

METHOD 0F FORMING ROLLER BEARING CUPS Filed Feb. 28, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 LA' s Hm.,

V I 6o 'I'Mllil' J5 R914. f j H918 5 @.15 Z 56 -56 iy ,Hh 62 Il, 'lllii 6a ff 50 uw 58%! o R958 R91@ 56 f2 R522@ a y0 imm uw 66 "AM Ww. '7 Il 'i V N H/I/{lllllll 'LUI 6474 f/ g2 I 66 7o ringand the inner diameter of another and larger'desired ring, and the diameter of punch member 28 is the same as the outer diameter of said second mentioned ring. The saving oi' material and punching time seems evident, the arrangement of'punches making it possible to produce two diiferent sized rings at one time out of` a blank having a diameter no greater than the diameter of the larger ring.

As shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 6, the blank I8 is guided and fed along the top oi the die 2 from right to left. When the punching operation is about to be commenced, the distance the left end of the blank has been fed past the center of aperture 22 in die I2 should not be much more than the length of the radius of the aperture 28, this care being taken for economical reasons. Punch i4 is then lowered, see Fig. 3, and a blank 28 is punched out of blank i8 by punch member it. The center of the aperture thus made in blank i8 is then vertically lined up with the center of the aperture 24 in die i2 by feeding the blank i 8 along die l2 for the proper distance. v

. The punch i4 is again lowered, see Fig. s, the

punch member i8' again punching out a blank |28 similar to the blank 28, and punch member i8 punching out a ring blank 88 having an inner diameter equal to the diameter oi the blanks 28 l and |28. The blank i8 is then moved further to the left to a position where the center of the aperture formed in blank I8 by the removal therefrom of blank 88 and the center ofthe aperture 28 in die i2 will be in vertical alignment. Again the punch i4 is lowered,- see Fig. 6, this time blanks 228, |88, and 82 being punched out of blank I8 by punch members I8, i8 and 28, respectively. Obviously, until the length of blank i8 has been used up, any further step in punching will be similar to that shown in Fig. 6, producing two ring blanks each time the punch i4 is lowered. The blanks 28, |28 and 228 may either be discarded as waste, or they may be processed into ring blanks byany known method.

As shown in Fig. 9, thering blank 82 is then chamfered or otherwise machined as at 84. Also,

' the ring blanks 88 or |88, see Fig. 10, are chamfered or otherwise machined as at 88 and 88. These steps of machining the blanks 88. |88 and 82 are important inasmuch as the shear strength set up by the punching process causes cracks to develop at the inner diameters of the ring blanks, and these cracks, for the sake of smoothness in the ilnal product, must be removed.

'I'he economy derived from the procurement of two ring blanks from a single blank of given diameter and thickness has already been described, but it stands to reason that the dimensions desired for a ring which is readyvto be punched into a cup or race for the bearing assemblyv are still wanting. Therefore it is proposed that the blanks undergo further operations.

In Figs. 11 and 12 there is shown a die member 48 which is properly supported for rigidity, and which has a cylindrical bore 42 having va diameter equal to the desired innervdiameter of a ringblank which is ready to be formed into a cup or race for a roller bearing assembly. Near the top of member 48, and formed therein, is a anchois slotted horseshoe shaped guideway v44 which extends from one side of member 48 across the bore42 andwhichissosizedastopermitring blanks 88 or |88. after being inserted. through the guideway 44 and centered with bore 42. to be circumferentially spaced from the walls of said guideway, both forpermitting expansion of rings 88 or |88 and for removal thereof after expansion. suitably supported above die member 48 and'in vertical alignment with bore 42 and. -i'or vertical Yreciprocable movement is a punch 48 which has a downwardly tapered suriace, the lower extremity of which is of a diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of v ring blanks 88 or |88, and an intermediate portion of which has a diameter equal to the inner diameter of the desired ring. Before the punch a8 is lowered. as in Fig. l2, the ring 88 or ring 588 is placed in proper position in die member 88. The punch is then lowered to the level said intermediate vportieri is equal to the desired diameter of the new ring. Punch 48 thus expands ring 88 or |88 into the new ring 48, the` ring (which results in a thinner walled cup orv race) with greater inner and outer diameters ring' s0 that the ring.

i shown in Fig. l2 andl at which the diameter of (the expanding process spreading out the material of the blank and causing the outer circumference to overlap the circumference of the die bore shown in Fig. 20 and causing the inner diameter to be overlapped by the punch shown in said ligure, so that said blank can be i'ormed into a cup or race by said die and punch members). Y

For the purpose of reducing the inner and outer diameters oi' the ring blank 82, the process of contracting said blank is proposed as distinguished from the expansion of ring blanks 88 and |88. In Figs. 14 through 19 are shown the successive steps of the contraction process, in which a die member 58, rigidly 'supported in any suitable manner, is shown as having a combined cylindrical and tapered bore, the tapered portion being represented at 82, and-the cylindrical portion being represented at 84. vertically and centrally disposed with respect to said bore is a cylindrical plunger, said plunger being supported and driven in any suitable manner for reciprocable movement into and out of said bore, the diameter of which plungeris substantially equal to the diameter of cylindrical portion 84 of said bore and also to the desired outer diameter of a ilnished ring blank to be formed intofa cup or race for a bearing assembly. Into the upper open end of the tapered portion 82 of the bore in the die 88 is introduced the ring blank 82, as shown in Fig. 14. 'I'he plunger 88 is then lowered, as shown in Fig. 15, contracting the blank 82 into its deformed shape 88 oi' greater thickness and reduced inner and outer diameters. Another blank |82, similar to blank 82, is introduced into the bore of the die 88, as shown in Fig. 16, and is similarly contracted, as shown in Fig. 17, into its new shape 88 similar to I8. the operation displacing the contracted blank 88 to a lower level in bore 84. Then again, as in Fig. 18,

1"ig. 19, contracting blank-2l! into its new shape llsimilartolland llianddisplacingbothof theblanksllandltheblanklbeingdispiaced entirely from the die `member 5.0. This procs of contracting the ring blanks l2, III and Il! intotheirdesiredsizeandthicknesshasatendencytoincreasethe qualityofthemetaLasis true in most cases of cold-work compression.

Itistobenotedthat.withtheproperdies and punches, the smaller rings 30 and ill can be contracted as well as expanded, such as when greater thicknesses and smaller diameters than.

shown are desired; also, this invention contemplates the expansion of thelarger rings l2, il! and 282, such aswhen lesser thicknesses and greater diameters than shown are desired. It is also contemplated that the inner and outer diameters of rings ll and ISI and of the rings 32, Il! and 2I2,`will and can be changed at After the'rihg blanks have been either expanded or contracted, as above described, they are ready for the usual cup forming process, the

-apparatus for and steps of which are outlined inFigs.20,2l and22. Forthepurposesofillustratio the apparatus shown in these figures is adapted for the expanded ring blank shown in Pigs. 12 and 13. but it is obvious that such apparatus, without going outside the scope of .the.invention, could as well be adapted for the contracted ring blanks $8.1" and. In these figures is shown a die block Il, suitably supported for rigidity, and having a tapered bore therein with a cylindrical bore il in communication therewith. Supported upon the die block Il and centrally located with respect to the bores and Il is a centering member 1l, said member 1l having an opening therein the diameter of which beingsubstantially equal to the outer diameter of the ring blank Il for reception of said blank in said opening. Supported above the die Il and adapted for reciprocable movement into and out ofthe bore Il-il is a punch plunger l2 having a combined tapered and cylindrical surface. '111e diameter oi' the lower portion of the tapered surface of plunger 'I2 is slightly .greater than the inner diameter of the ring blank 4I (or any other blank to be formed into a cup by this process), and this diameter progressively increases thereabove so that, preferably, the wall of the taper is substantially parallel with the `wall of the tapered bore of the die block 6l. Disposed within a reduced portion of the cylindrical bore Il in the die block M is a plug member 'Il which is cupped at its upper end to receive the lower end of the punch 'l2 when same is lowered to its lowest level.

As shown in Fig. 20, the ring blank 4l is placed in the opening in centering member 10, the circumi'erence of the blank outwardly overlapping the top edge of the tapered bore 86, and the outer diameter of the blank being greater than the diameter of the cylindrical portion of the punch.12 Since the inner diameter of the blank 48 is less than the diameter of the lowest portion of the tapered punch 12, and since the outer diameter of the blank causes the blank to overlie the bore in die 64, initial downward pressure on punch I2 causes the blank I8 to take the shape shown in Fig. 21. As shown in Fig. 2l, the upper and lower chamfered portions (see also Fig. 10) of the inner circumference of the blank Il have been displaced by the upsetting process and are at the bottom inner and outer edges of the upset blank, and also as shown in Fig. 21 the metal has been between the walls of the die bore and punch taper, the initial formation of the cup taking place during 'the upsetting process. Further application oi' force on the punch 12 represents the nnal step inthe formation of the cup, as shown in Fig. 22, the cup being forced down into the cylindrical portion 58 of thebore in die il by the combination of forces exerted upon the inner surface of the cup by the shoulder on and the tapered surface of the punch 12. The upper annular surface of the plug 'I4 serves to shape the bottom annular surface of the cup, and the portion of the-cup lying above a horizontal planev drawn through the upper edge of the shoulder on the punch separating its cylinl drical and tapered surfaces can be ground of! as waste, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 23. As has been said previously, the subject matter embodied in the Figs. 20 through 23 comprises no` part oi this invention, the same can be readily understood from a reference to my United States Patent No. 2,014,605.

While the invention has been described with some, detail. it is to be understood that the description is for the purposes of illustration only and is not definitive of the limits of the inventive idea. The right is reserved to make such changes as will fall within the purview of the attached claims. y

What I claim is:

l. The method of forming a race member for a roller bearing assembly which comprises, punching a disk of predetermined diameter from a strip of sheet metal, subsequently punching a ring from the portion of the strip symmetrically about the void provided by the removal of the disk, expanding the ring to increase its inner andouter diameters simultaneously, and upsetting the expanded ring into the form of a hollow, elongated member.

2. The method of forming a race member for a roller bearing`\ assembly which comprises, punching a blank of predetermined outer diameter from a strip of sheet metal, subsequently punching a ring from the portion of the strip symmetrically about the void provided by the removal of the blank, contracting the ring to decrease its inner and outer diameters simultaneously, and upsetting the contracted ring into the form of a hollow, elongated member.

3. The method of forming a race member for a roller bearing assembly which comprises, punching a disk of predetermined diameter from a strip of sheet metal, subsequently punching a ring of undersized dimensions from the strip symmetrically about the. void provided by the removal of the disk, subsequently punching a ring of Toversized dimensions from the strip symmetrically about the void provided by the removal of the first ring, expanding the first ring to increase simultaneously both its diameters, contracting the second ring to decrease. simultaneously both its diameters, and upsetting both rings to form hollow, elongated members.

4. The method of forming blanks for race members of roller bearing assemblies which comprises, punching a disk of predetermined diameter from a strip of sheet metal, punching a ring from the strip with the centers of the voids created by the removal of the disk and ring from the strip coincident and the inner diameter of the ring equal to the diameter of the disk, punch- 4 merma ing'a ring from the strip withthecentersotthe voids created by the removal of the disk rings from the strip coincident and e diameter of the second ring equslrio the ou diameter of the nrst ring, expanding the ring to increase both of its diameters, and

, tracting the second ring to decrease bothlo! its dimensionolly-spprch theinner dismeterot theexpandednssndtheouterdilmete'rtherect approaches 'expended outer 

